Illuminated sign for electrically-driven street-cars



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EEENGLE. ILLUMINATED SIGN EGR ELEGTRIGALLT DRIVEN STREET GARS. IND. 555,440. f' Patented Feb.. 25, 18.96..

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2 Sheets-Sheet '2. R. H. EN GLE. 5 ILLUMINATED SIGN FOR. ELEGTRIGALLY DRIVEN STREET GARS.

No. 555,440. Patented Feb. 25', 1896.

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UNITED STATES PATENTA OFFICE,

ROBERT H. ENGLE, OF GARDEN LAKE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHARLES IV. S. MUNRO, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

ILLUMINATED SIGN FOR ELECTRICALLY-DRIVEN STREET-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 555,440, dated February 25, 1896. I

Application led March 8, 1895. Serial No. 540,960. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT H. ENGLE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Garden Lake, Camden county, New Jersey, have invented an Illuminated Sign for Electrically-Driven Street-Cars, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide an illuminated sign for use on electric-railway cars, so that the character of the car can be readily determined at night, and this object I attain in the manner hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a longitudinal section of a sign for cars, constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged section of part of the structure. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of other parts of the same, and Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of a vmodified form of the device.

In Fig. l A represents a casing, preferably of sheet metal, suitably stiffened so as to preserve its lform, said casing having at both front and rear a hinged sign-plate B of transparent or translucent material normally retained in position, as shown in Fig. 3, by means of spring-catches a or equivalent retainers.

IVithin the casing are a pair of electric lamps D D, and at top and bottom of the casing are reversely-inclined reflectors F F retained in position by spring-clips b, so that they can be readily removed for cleansing or repairs. Y

The casing A has opposite trunnions d adapted to suitable hangers d depending from that portion of the car-roof which constitutes the hood above the platform, one of the trunnions being provided with a handle d2, so that the casing can be readily turned in order to bring either of its sign-plates B to the front, it being usual in streetcar signs to employ a double-faced sign, one face indicating the destination of the car when running in one direction and the other indicating its destination when running in the opposite direction.

In o1 der that only the front or outward face of the sign may be exposed the casing A is partially inclosed by a segmental hood G, as

shown in Fig. 8, this hood extending throughout the entire length of the sign, as shown in Fig. 2, and serving, also, to reflect back into the casing any light which would otherwise be dissipated in the rear of the same.

The lamps D D are connected in series by meansof a wire f, the current entering one of the hangers d and passing thence through the trunnion to one of the lamps D, from the 6o latter through the wire f to the other lamp, and from the latter through the opposite trunnion and hanger d to the line.

Each of the trunnionsl is insulated from the casing of the sign, as shown in Fig. 4E, by in- 65 sulating material h interposed between the trunnion d and the casing, and also between the latter and the nuts t' rl, whereby the casing is secured t0 the trunnion.

On one of the trunnions d of the sign is a 7o collar or sleeve m, having beveled toes m which enter recesses in the adjoining bearing d', the collar being acted upon by a spring 'm2 tending to project it and being prevented from turning on the trunnion bymeans of a pin 7 5 m3 on the latter entering a slot in the collar.

When power is applied to the handle d2 to turn the sign, the collar 'm will be pushed backward and the toes will travel on the inner face of the bearing d until they reach 8o the opposite notches, intol which they will be projected by the spring m2, so that there is no likelihood of the sign being turned more than half-way around at one time, nor is there any possibility of the sign being accidentally 8 5 moved from its proper position by the shaking or jarring to which it is subjected.

The use of the inclined reflectors in the upper and lower portions of the casingA serves to insure the uniform and thorough lighting 9o of all parts of the sign-plates B, sincethe latter are illuminated not only by the rays passing directly outward from the lamp, but also bythose rays which pass upward and downward and are reflected outward by the in- Hence the full lighting effect clined mirrors.

In this case the handle stein or shaft 'n at the bottom of the sign has a cross-head n novided with rods n2 which 9 J pass through openings in the longitudinal brace-bar J at the top of the casing and are connected at the upper end to a collarp, acted on by a spring p and having toes p2, engaging with recesses in a depending hanger K. Through this hanger pass a rod s and a tube s', insulated from each other and from the hanger, the tube being connected to one linewireand the rod to the other. The rod projects inwardly beyond the tube, so as to pro vide for the use of contact brushes or lingers t t', the finger bearing upon the rod and the finger t upon the tube, as shown, and said linger t is connected to one of the lamps D by a wire the linger t being connected to the other lamp D by a wire 1r', and the lamps being connected by a wire lr?, so that the lamps are connected in series.

In all cases I use lamps having narrow cylindrical bulbs of a diameter but little in excess of the incandescentI loop or filament of the lainp, so that I am enabled to very materia-lly contract the lateral dimensions of the sign-casing as compared with signs having lamps with the usual pear-shaped bulbs, and I ain also enabled to correspondingly contract the height or vertical dimensions of the signcasing by bringing the upper and lower reflectors closer together than would be possible if a pear-shaped bulb was used, so that the said upper and lower reflectors can be disposed at the proper angles for reflecting the light through the sign-plate withoutv unduly increasing the Vertical dimensions of the casing.

It will be evident that by my invention the annoyance now caused by the difficulty of decipherin g at night the signs carried by streetcars will be eil'ectually overcome.

My invention may, as will be evident, be embodied in a sign having but one lamp or more than two, as well as in a casing having but one sign-plate or more than two, the construction shown, however, being preferred.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patentl.. The within-described illuminated sign for street-cars, the same consisting' ol' a casing having in one or more o1' its sides a translucent or transparent plate and having a lamp with narrow cylindrical bulb projecting longitudinally into the casing from either end, means for mounting said casing, and rcilec tors extending longitudinally through the casing above and below the lamp, these reflcctors being in a horizontal plane longitudinally, but inclined transversely and the opposed upper and lower reflectors being revcrsely inclined, substantially as specified.

2. An illuminated sign for street-cars, con sisting of a casing having in one or more ol' its sides a transparent or translucent signplate, an electric lamp projecting longitudinally into said casing from either end of the same, means for mounting the casing, reilectors disposed longitudinally in the casin above and below the lamp, and cach consisting of a straight at strip or plate of reflecting 1naterial, inclined supports or backings for said plates, and spring-clips whereby the plates are detachably conined to said supports, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence oi two subscribing witnesses.

ROBT. Il. ENGLE. lVitnesses:

JOSEPH H. KLEIN, FRANK E. BEcH'roLD. 

